Tongs having releasable load engaging tines



May 13, 1952 E. KUPKA TONGS HAVING RELEASABLE LOAD-ENGAGING TINES Filed May 22,1950

INVENTOR. 4 [ow/m0 /1 UPKA Patented May 13, 1952 OFFICE TON GS HAVING RELEASABLE LOAD ENGAGING THE. S

Edward 'Kupka, Buckley, Wash.

ApplicationMay 22, 1950, Serial No. 163,469

2 Claims. 1

My .inventionrelates to tongs; more particularly my invention relates to tongs having directly releasable load, engaging tines or teeth.

A primary object. of my invention is toprovide tongs having. releasable tines and of such sturdy and simple construction to be particu larly useful in the logging industry as skiddin tongs.

A further primary object of my invention is to provide .a skidding tong which will release its load although the legs-of the tong may be wedged between other logs in the pile to which the load has been transferred.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become. apparent as the description of the same proceeds .and the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with th accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not to be limited to. the exact details of construction shown and described since obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a device embodying my invention illustrating the tong teeth or tines in open or loadreleasing position in dotted lines and in closed or load-engaging position in full lines;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the same, illustrating the load carrying end portion of a tong leg member and illustrating a tine in open or load-releasing position in dash lines and in closed or load-engaging position in full lines;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on broken line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on broken line 44 of Fig. 3.

Referring to Fig. 1, leg members 5 and 6 are mutually pivotally connected one to the other at their upper portions as by pin means 9 and thus are provided usual portions I and 8 which are connected to any suitable hoisting line (not shown) and which hoisting line causes leg members 5 and 6 to move toward each other when it is moved upwardly.

Tines I and II respectively are pivotally connected with lower end portions I2 and I3 respectively of hook arm members and 6 respectively as by pins I3a. Each side of the lower end portions I2 and I3 of leg members 5 and 6 respectively carry recessed grooves generally numbered I4, which grooves may be provided as by milling or casting.

The leg members 5 and 6 are, paired but may be otherwise identical and therefore for purposes of illustration and description, leg 6 alone will be treated in detail.

Referring to Fig. 3, tine II is bifurcated and the legs thereof abut against the'lateral walls I6 and ll of "lower end portion I3 of leg member 6.

Referring now to Fig. 2, spring means may be employed to return the tine 6 to the load-engaging position as spring means I8, one end por-- tion of each spring I8 is fixedly connected with pin I3a, which pin serves to. pivotally connect tine 'I I with the lower portion I3 of leg member 6. The other end portion of each spring I8 is connected with tine II. 'Ihev pin I3a is fixedly secured to the lower end portion I3 of leg member 6 and serves as a bearing surface for tine II which pivots on said pin 13a.

Tine II is provided with recesses I9, which recesses come into alignment with recessed grooves IE in the lower end portion I3 of leg member 6 as the time II is pivoted into the raised or loadengaging position indicated by full lines in Figs. 1 and 2.

Lugs 20. are provided of a high shear test material and are slidably carried in the lower end portions of recessed grooves I4 and the lower portions or said lugs 20 are also slidable into the recesses I9 in tine II when the recesses I9 are aligned with the lower end portions of recessed grooves I 4, that is, when the tine H is in the raised or load-engaging position.

Resilient means, as springs 2|, resiliently urge blocks '20 into the recesses I9 in tine II when the tine II is in the load-engaging position thus engaging tine II with leg member 6. Springs 2| are preferably kept under compression, the upper end portions of each of said springs 2| abutting against shoulders 22 at the topof recessed grooves I4, the lower end portions abutting against lugs 20. Compression of springs 2|, not only urges the lugs 20 into recesses I9 when the tine II is in load-engaging position, but also tends to maintain the lugs 20 in such position.

Springs 2| lie within the grooved recesses I 4 in the lower end portion I3 of leg member 6. Bars 23 may be fixedly mounted on the lower end portions I3 of leg member 6 in such positions that they serve to retain lugs 20 within the recessed grooves l4 and also within the recesses I9 when said recesses I9 are in alignment with recessed grooves I4.

The release cables 24 may be directly connected to lugs 20 but preferably rods 25 are fixedly connected with lugs 20. The rods 25 extend up- 3 \vardly within the springs 2| and are connected with release cables 24. Guide members 26 may be fixedly connected to leg member 6 (see Fig. 1) to serve as cable guides.

The mode of operation of my invention is as follows:

A log is engaged in the tong by tines l and l I with said tines in the raised or load-engaging position, i. e., with the lugs 29 in the recesses 19 of tines l0 and II. The load is then transferred to the desired location and the tines are permitted to angularly move by exerting tension on cables 24, which tension results in an upward movement of rod members 25, further compressing springs 2| and causing lugs 20 to be removed from the recesses [9 in the tines l0 and II, thus resulting in a free pivotal movement of tines l0 and H with respect to the lower portions l2 and 13 of the legs and 6, which pivotal movement is restricted only by the force of springs l8 tending to move the tines I0 and H toward raised or load-engaging position. The force exerted by the springs I8, however, is easily overcome by the weight of the load carried by tines i0 and H, which tines thus pivot downwardly into the dropped or load-releasing position indicated by broken lines in Figs. 1 and 2. As soon as the load is free of the tines l0 and H, springs I8 urge the tines ID and II into the raised or load-engaging position, in which position spring members 2| force lugs 20 into the recesses IS in tines IB and II. The tong is thus ready to engage another log.

It is to be particularly noted that my invention employs no latch mechanism which either in the load-engaging position, in the load-releasing position, or in movement between the two positions projects beyond the confines of the recesses provided for the latch mechanism in the legs 5 and 6 and in the tines. Therefore, the tines of my invention can be released, and the tong freed of its load even though the tong may be wedged between logs.

Obviously, changes may be made in the form, dimensions and arrangement of the parts of my invention, without departing from the principle thereof, the above setting forth only a preferred form of embodiment.

I claim:

1. In combination with a skidding tong having legs interconnected intermediate their lengths and having recessed grooves at the load receiving end portions of the tong legs; tines pivotally connected with the load-receiving end portions of said legs, each of said tines having a recess in an edge portion thereof, each of said recesses being movable into registration with one of said recessed grooves in said tong legs; lug means slidably mounted in each of said recessed grooves in said tong legs and of a size to slidably interfit a recessed groove in a tong leg; resilient means resiliently urging said lug means into said recesses in said tines when said recesses are in registration with said recessed grooves; and resilient means connected with said tines urging said tines toward load-engaging position.

2. In combination with a skidding tong having legs interconnected intermediate their lengths and having recessed grooves at the load-receiving end portions of the tong legs; tines pivotally connected with the load-receiving end portions of said legs, each of said tines having a recess in an edge portion thereof, each of said recesses being movable into registration with one of said recessed grooves in said tong legs; rod means slidably mounted in each of said recessed grooves; lugs connected with each of said rod means and slidably mounted in said recesses in said tong legs and of a size to slidably interfit a recessed groove in a tong leg; compression spring means surrounding each of said rods and resiliently urging said lug means into said recesses in said tines when said recesses are in registration with said recessed rooves; and resilient means connected with said tines urging said tines toward loadengaging position.

EDWARD KUPKA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,253,111 West Jan. 8, 1918 2,533,795 Hansen Dec. 12, 1950 

